Body Dump
by windwolf-24
Summary: Ryan is kidnapped from a crime scene and his friends race against time to find him. But even as their efforts continue, Ryan Wolfe learns that there are things worse than death. Please Review.
1. Chapter 1

**Chapter 1: ****Things started off well **

_Just one thing I have to point out before I start. This is not, I repeat not a sequel to my story _Last Hope_. Just think of it as an episode a few weeks later in the season. There's no real need to read the other story to understand what will happen in this one. I might make a few references here and there to things that happened in it, but nothing major. Please review this story and if you happen to read _Last Hope_, please review that too. _

Ryan Wolfe walked through the crime lab with a sheet of paper in hand, reading it intently. He headed towards the locker room. The other lab techs had to watch out so as to not bump into him, since he wasn't watching where he was going. Ryan walked into the locker room, stopped looking at the letter long enough to open his locker and than sat down on the bench and continued to read. He didn't even notice that Calleigh was there too.

'What you got there Ryan?'

'Oh hey Cal, it's a letter from Karen'

'Karen? Your sister Karen?'

'Yeah, she's coming down to Miami next week and according to her letter she's got some big news , but she doesn't say what. Says that I'll have to wait till she gets here'

'Well, I guess you're going to have to be patient until then, so come on you're with me on this one. We've got a DB in an alley downtown. Grab your kit and meet me at the elevator'

'Alright, give me the keys'

'What?'

'Toss me the keys; it's my turn to drive'

'You wish' Calleigh said with a smirk and left the locker room.

-xxx-

When they got to the crime scene, Ryan and Calleigh found the medical examiner Alexx Woods looking over the body.

'Hey Alexx, what do you have for us?' Calleigh asked

'Hey, this is really weird. The body's got a old gun shot wound to the back of the head, that is obviously cause of death' Alexx started

'And what's so weird about that?' Ryan asked

'Age of the wound, I'd say it's at least a month old'

'A month?' Calleigh sounded shocked 'How can that be? There's no way this body has been for a month without anyone noticing or smelling it'

'That's the other strange thing about this body. He's been dead at least a month, but look at how well preserved he is, decomp has been kept to a minimal'

'What do you think? Someone was keeping him and just decided to get rid of him now'

'I'll know more at the post, see you back at the lab'

Alexx called her guys over and they bagged and loaded the body into the van and took off back to the crime lab.

'Alright, you wanna take pictures and I'll start bagging and tagging? '

'Sounds Good' Ryan adjusted his camera and stared taking pictures of everything that looked significant and Calleigh bagged evidence that was around the body.

They had just gotten started when something knocked over the garbage can at the corner that continued deeper into the alley.

'What do you think that was?' Calleigh asked not too concerned

'Probably just a cat or some other animal, I'll check it out' Ryan headed towards the can

'Careful not to get bit' Calleigh joked

Ryan gave her a thumbs-up without even turning around. He lifted the can back up and turned the corner.

'See anything?'

'No, whatever knocked this over probably got scared and is long gone'

Ryan just had time to finish his sentence when a hand came from behind and covered his mouth and another held his arms down. Ryan fought against his unknown attacker, but couldn't break free of his grip. His attacker started to drag him backwards; Ryan needed to get Calleigh's attention. He did the first thing he could think of; he kicked the garbage can, knocking it over again.

'What happened Ryan? Did the animal come back and scare you?' Calleigh joked.

Ryan could give no answer as he continued to be dragged backwards towards a white van.

'Ryan?' Calleigh called to him after he gave no answer. 'Ryan?' She called again, getting up and upholstering her gun and cautiously moving towards the corner.

The back doors to the van were open and Ryan was flung inside.

'Calleigh!!' He just had time to yell before the doors were shut

'Ryan!!' Calleigh yelled as she rounded the corner quickly. She just had time to see the white van taking off, and rounding the corner back out onto the road, its tires screeching.

Calleigh grabbed her radio that hung on her belt 'Patrol, this is CSI Duquesne, I got a kidnapping in progress, victim is CSI Wolfe, I repeat victim is CSI. Suspect is driving a large van, license plate 385 RGF heading west down South Palm. I need all units to be alert'

Calleigh attached the radio back onto her belt and leaned against the wall. She couldn't believe it. Ryan Wolfe had been taken right from under her nose. She was right there. She shook the feeling from her head. This was no time to sulk; she had a new crime scene to process and a friend to help save.

_I know it's not the best opening, but trust me, it will get better. Well I hope you guys will think so. Please Review!!!_


	2. From Bad to Worse

**Chapter 2: From Bad to Worse **

Ryan could barely keep his balance as the van swerved side to side across the lanes of the highway. Every time he tried to un-holster his gun, the driver would bank hard to one side, sending Ryan hurling to each side of the van. The ride seemed to go on like this forever.

'You made a big mistake man. Every cop in Miami is going to be looking for this van and they are going to find you' Ryan yelled at the driver

As if nearly on cue he heard sirens coming from behind. He looked out the van's rear window and saw two patrol cars following them.

'_Right on time'_ he thought

Suddenly the driver slammed on the brakes, the sudden stop sent Ryan forward onto his stomach in the front of the van. Before he could make any move he heard a sound that was pretty near the last thing he wanted to hear. A gun click. He raised his head to meet the barrel of a gun. Ryan froze, would his kidnapper kill him before he got stopped by the cops? He could still hear the sirens, the police were positioning themselves, one in front of the van and the other, in back. He raised his eyes to finally see his kidnapper's face and his eyes went wide.

'Nice to see you too Ryan, baby. Now be a good boy and give me your gun, slowly and don't even think of trying anything'

Ryan did as he was told, slowly he un-holstered his gun and passed it to the kidnapper.

'Now get to the back of the van, back against the doors'

Ryan got to his hands and knees and backed up until his feet hit the back of the van, than sat down.

'Driver!' One of the cops yelled 'Let me see your hands!'

He put down the window and stuck his hands out

'Now, open the door from the outside and step out of the vehicle.'

He did as he was told, keeping his hands up in the air

'Get down on the ground '

'He's in the back if you want to get him out' He told them as he went down. The cop heading towards the driver nodded towards his partner, who headed to the back of the van to get Ryan out. His gun still drawn in case, he opened the door quickly. Ryan who had his back against the door lost his balance and started falling off. The cop reached to grab him. The other cop looked over to see what was going on. Even this short distraction was all the driver needed. He reached down into his shoe and pulled out the gun he stored there and shot the cop square in the chest. Than turned and shot the other cop in the head. Ryan just had time to grab hold to the side of the van to keep himself from falling.

The driver got up casually and dusted himself off, grabbed the cop near him by the arm and dragged him towards the van.

'Get back in the van Ryan'

Ryan pulled himself back in and waited. Soon the driver threw the body of the cop into the van and than grabbed the other and threw him in too. He shut the doors and than went back to the front and got back into the driver's seat.

'See you're still into collecting'

'Yep, and this one's bigger than ever' He told Ryan and drove off

-xxx-

Calleigh looked out the window, at nothing in particular on the drive to the crime scene. She and Horatio rode in one hummer and Eric followed in the other. They heard that police had spotted the van that had taken Ryan, but the news they got later from other officers who had arrived as backup was no comfort. The greeting that they got didn't give them much hope.

'Dammit' they heard Eric say when he spotted the blood.

There were two blood pools, one indicating that a body had been dragged around.

'Alright guys, let's stay focused. Eric, take pictures; Calleigh, take samples of the blood please'

'See if any of it is Ryan's?'

''Let's not assume that yet. Dispatch said that two officers responded to this call and notice that the squad cars are here, but no officers'

'So he picked up the bodies to dump them somewhere?'

'Why go through all that trouble?' Eric asked 'I mean he has Ryan. Why take the time to pick up the bodies and than stop again somewhere to dump them? It would be so much quicker just to shoot and take off'

'Unless, he's not planning to dump them…' Horatio said

'H?'

'Keep working, I…ah... I have a call to make' Horatio stepped back over to the Hummer and hit one speed dial on his cell phone 'Yeah Frank, I need you to look up something for me. Alright, I'll be there in about ten minutes' He hung up and turned back towards his team 'I have to run back, finish up here and get everything back to the lab to be analysed ASAP.' Without another word he got up into the hummer, turned around and drove off.

'You think there's something he's not telling us?' Eric asked

'If there is I'm sure he has a good reason'

Eric and Calleigh got back to work, going over everything thoroughly. They knew that every detail was important and could help them find Ryan.

Meanwhile back at police headquarters Horatio made his way to Detective Frank Tripp's desk.

'You got the system up and running Frank?'

'Yeah, it's all ready for you, some names you want to run?'

'Just one' He told Frank the name and Frank very slowly typed it into the database.

'Looks like your guy got out on good behaviour about six months ago' Frank told him when the information showed up.

'Yes and he's already up to his old tricks, thank you Frank' He left and dialled up Calleigh 'Calleigh get your stuff back to the lab and put in on priority one. The man who has Ryan is very dangerous! And we don't have much time.'

_Sorry that it may have taken a while to get it up. I'm trying to alternate between another fic and this one. But I hope that the next chapter won't be that long. Please Review!!! _


	3. Reunion

_From the way this is going, this fic is going to be the CSI: Miami version of Grave Danger. Thank you so much for all your reviews and please keep them coming!!!!_

**Chapter 3: ****Reunion**

Ryan's eyes twitched and he coughed as soon as the odors of the room entered his nostrils. He couldn't believe the horrific stench that plagued wherever he was. His vision started to clear and he realized that he was in some sort of enclosed space with no obvious windows.

The back of his head hurt badly. The last thing he remembered was his driver stopping and getting out of the van. He made the turn to the back and opened the doors with a gun pointed at Ryan and told him to get out. Not being one to object, especially with a gun pointed right in his face, Ryan did as he was told. The driver told him to start walking towards an old run down shack. He had just started to walk and examine his surroundings when he received a blow to the back of the head. Now here he was waking up, with no clue as to where in Miami (if he was still there) he was. Slowly, he started getting up, than something tugged at his neck. He felt and realized there was a metal collar around his neck.

'_A Wolfe on a leash, how ironic' He thought _

He followed the chain to find out that it was attached to a pipe in the middle of the room. He tugged at it, but there was no way that it was coming off. He coughed again; the smell was near unbearable, what was it? He started to walk around to see if there was anything in the room. Being on a chain he could only go so far, so he started going in a circle. Mid-way his foot struck something and Ryan nearly fell. Regaining his footing, Ryan leaned in closer to get a better look. He screamed in horror when his eyes met two wide open dark ones. He scrambled back to the pipe. From there, he kept his eyes fixed and realized that it was one of the officers the driver had killed earlier. Already freaked out, Ryan removed his gaze from the body to see if there was anything else. He nearly gagged up his breakfast when he saw that the entire room was filled with dead bodies; most of them eyes open, staring him down. The horrific stench that he was smelling was coming from the decomp of the corpses. Not wanting to look into the eyes Ryan kept his head down and concentrated on anything else instead of these dire circumstances. In what seemed like such a long time, the door finally opened and the driver came in with a devilish smile.

'Told you, it would be bigger than ever'

'You're a real sick son of a bitch you know that?' Ryan snapped, his head still down

'Of course I do Wolfe; you told me the last time. Well on a brighter note what do you think so far? I know it could use a few touch here and there, but I don't find it half bad'

Ryan didn't say a word

'You see that space right over there' He grabbed Ryan's chain and forced him to look at him. He pointed to an empty spot in the center of the far wall. 'That's the spot I'm reserving especially for you. But first, I intend to have a little fun'

-xxx-

Back at the lab Horatio sat behind the desk in his office, looking over a folder. He was deeply concentrated on what he was reading when a voice when his concentration

'Lieutenant?'

He looked up saw Paula, the blond officer usually in charge of the evidence locker standing in the doorway to his office.

'Yes?'

'Ryan Wolfe's parents are here sir'

'Alright, thank you Paula'

She nodded and left. Horatio shut the folder and brought it with him as he made his way to the lobby. There, he found Ryan's parents sitting. Mr. Wolfe had his arm around Mrs. Wolfe who had clearly been crying.

Horatio hated this part of the job, having to tell parents that their beloved children were missing, seeing that look of despair on their faces. This time was even worse, he was connected to Ryan. He had worked with him for a little over two years now. It didn't help that he knew that Ryan's kidnapper was a deeply disturbed homicidal maniac. He took a deep breath and walked over to them.

'Mr. and Mrs. Wolfe'

'Lieutenant Caine' They both got up and shook his hand 'I'm Philip Wolfe and this is my wife Judith'

'It's nice to finally meet you'

'Do you have any idea who took our boy?' Judith asked right out

This was the question that Horatio was dreading 'You don't need to worry about that Mrs. Wolfe, but what I want you to know is that we are doing everything we can to find him. We will not rest until he is back here safe and sound'

'Thank you Lieutenant' Judith leaned into the husband, tears threatening her eyes again.

At that moment the elevator opened and a familiar face stepped out

'Karen?' Philip looked and walked over to hug his daughter

'Dad?' Karen was surprised and happy that he was here. She hugged him back

Judith, however stood still and just stared at Karen 'Who called her?' she asked

'I did' Horatio answered 'Ryan is her brother and I thought that she should know about the situation'

Judith continued to stare at Karen, who went to see Horatio

'Horatio, so nice to see you again' Karen shook his hand gladly

'Nice to see you too Karen'

The mood completely changed when she turned her attention to Mrs. Wolfe, she suddenly became quite serious

'Mrs. Wolfe' she held out her hand.

Mrs. Wolfe shook it sternly and let go 'Karen'

Horatio could feel the tension between the two of them; you could cut through it with a knife.

'Karen, could I see you for just a minute?' Horatio directed her a few feet away to be out of hearing range and spoke softly 'Is there something between you and Ryan's mother?'

'That's exactly it, she's Ryan's mother, not mine and she plans to make that quite clear every time I see her. All she sees me as is part of the mistake her husband made 22 years ago'

'I see' Horatio said and they walked back to Ryan's parents

'I want you to know Horatio that I want to be a full part of this investigation. I want to do everything I can to get Ryan back' Karen said

'Glad to have you aboard' Horatio said

Mr. Wolfe smiled, happy that his daughter wanted to help; Mrs. Wolfe looked less than happy.

-xxx-

Back at the warehouse Ryan tried his best to stay calm. He knew he had to, but he didn't want to breathe in the contaminated air. He could feel himself getting sick, he felt nauseous and had a headache that kept on getting worse. The door to the room opened and the driver stood in the doorway, baseball bat in hand.

'I told you I wanted to have a little fun'


	4. So little time

_I'm so sorry for taking such a long time to get this up. I was having a little writer's block.__ But I hope you enjoy what I have here for you. Please review._

**Chapter ****4: So little time **

Ryan's entire body pained terribly. He could already see the bruises starting to form on his arms and he didn't even want to think about the ones that would be on his back. He leaned against the pipe, unable to stand on his own. He held his abdomen and breathed slowly, it stung every time

'Definitely cracked or broke something' He said

He had barely slept last night; although he couldn't very well tell whether it was night or day where he was. The pain had kept him awake. Ryan nearly didn't even dare to move after that vicious attack with the bat.

A knock came from the door and it opened just enough for the driver to poke his head in.

'Up already Sunshine? Sleep well? I know I did' He came into the room holding a tray with a glass of water and one slice of burnt toast. He set then tray down before Ryan who turned away.

'Come on Wolfe, you have to keep your strength up' the driver pushed the tray closer.

Ryan was hungry, but he wouldn't dare eat anything from here. Who knows if he had done anything to it? And his OCD wouldn't let him eat anything like that either.

'Come on Ryan, you really think I would kill you that way? Sure it keeps you pretty for my collection, but there's no fun in that.' He slapped him on the back; Ryan groaned in pain, it stung the bruises on his back. 'Enjoy your company' He said and left.

The dark darkened again as he shut the door. Ryan's eyes slowly became readjusted to the darkness and for the first time he decided to take a closer look at the solemn company he was keeping. For most of them cause of death was obvious, gun shot wound to the wound, fast and clean. Others were less sane, slit throats, multiple stab wounds, messy and slow. He certainly enjoyed diversity, putting his own personal touch on everything. It worried Ryan as to how he would finish him off.

'No don't think about that' He told himself 'you know very well that they are working hard and they are going to find you' He crawled back and leaned against the post 'I know they will'

-xxx-

Back at the crime lab, Horatio had assembled his team in the layout room, folder in hand.

'His name is Steve Dawson' He took out the rap sheet and threw it on the table '6 years ago he was put away on charges of necrophilia. Bodies had been disappearing from crematoriums and funeral homes. Finally we were able to trace it back to him. There were several bodies found that were unaccounted for, we didn't know where they came from. High suspicions rose that he had killed them, but with the degrading of the bodies and how much time had passed we were unable to prove murder. So we had to settle for several accounts of necrophilia. He never abused the bodies, he just stored them.'

'What does any of this have to do with Ryan?' Eric asked

'Ryan was the arresting officer in the case' Karen told them 'He told me about this case once. He described it as the nastiest thing that he ever encountered in the job' then a thought struck her 'You don't think?'

'Let's not think about that, alright. From this moment we only think about getting him back. Calleigh, I want the two of you looking through Mr. Dawson's old case file. Karen, you're going to his last known address, Eric you're with me'

Eric followed Horatio out of the layout room as Karen and Calleigh got straight to work.

'Where are we going H?'

'Back to where it all began Eric, Back to where it all began'

-xxx-

Horatio drove the hummer out towards the Everglades and eventually stopped at what looked like an old hunting shack.

'This is where he stashed the bodies the first time?' Eric asked examining the shack. Its dull exterior didn't look inviting and he could only imagine how cold and dark the interior would be.

Horatio took the lead and slowly opened the door, fingers on his gun just in case. But the lack of activity outside gave him his answer. The place was clear, but a rotten smell lingered

'Just like cigarette smoke, you can't get rid of it' Horatio commented

'Decomp of the bodies, fluids and others substances must have seeped into the floor, but it certainly isn't fresh' Eric said

'Alright, we'll take a look around anyway; I want to know if he's been here since his release. Let's hope that Karen is having more luck at Mr. Dawson's house'

-xxx-

Karen entered the small apartment. With lights off, she turned on her flashlight, preferring to view the room the way she found it first, though there wasn't much to see. At first glance all she saw was a table and two chairs. The refrigerator had nothing in it expect a few beers and some sore milk and cheese. The bathroom was your typical sloppy men's bathroom. She bagged the razor with a few hairs that she found. She also bagged some soil that she found at the entrance. If they couldn't tell where he was at least they'll know where he's been.

The last stop was the bedroom, there was a little more to find in there. In the hanging closet was an old, bad suit that the moths had gotten to. The dresser had a few t-shirts and one pair of jeans, which she also bagged. The bed was simply a mattress thrown on the ground with a sheet on top. She tossed around the sheets and heard something fall off the mattress. It was a small notebook, nearly completed written in. She picked it up and started reading

'Oh my god' she uttered

-xxx-

'It's a list of all the bodies he's collected throughout his whole crime spree' Karen explained 'Completed detailed: Gender, age, height, weight, but it's the last column that's creepy.'

'What is it?' Calleigh

'COD. He even kept the record of how the bodies he kept died. The ones that you couldn't trace back to the funeral homes must be in here. Tells you how he killed them too.'

'Nice find, Karen.' Horatio complemented 'We'll be able to get this guy for murder with this'

'That's not all. There's one recent entry in the notebook. Here in the back' she lifted it up on the monitor for everyone to see.

Everyone couldn't believe what they were seeing. The recent entry catalogued the two guards that had been killed, but the third entry was Ryan Wolfe, gender, age, height, weight , but just as with the others the last column COD was already filled.

'You don't think we're too late?' Calleigh asked

'I don't think so look at this, he goes into more detail after, listing days.'

'Day 1 starts off with him keeping kidnapped and it works its way till Day 7 when…' Eric trailed off

'He's already had him for three days now' Karen said

'Which means that we only have four days to find him'


	5. A little Closer

**Chapter 5: A little Closer**

Ryan tossed and turned in his sleep. He did so every night ever since his capture. Believe it or not, but his bed was one of the things he was missing the most. He worried about a lot of things besides his situation. He knew that Horatio would definitely have told his parents by now and they must be worried sick about him. What about Karen? Had anyone told her? Ryan wondered about those in the lab, how they felt about him being gone. Were they worried? He knew that Alexx would be, she treated everyone of them like they were her own children. At some points though he was always afraid that deep down they still felt a bit of resentment towards him because he took Speedle's job. He knew that when he first came on, the rest of the team didn't really want to make friends, but with time he felt that he was really one of them. They were trying their best to find him, he knew they were.

He was suddenly rudely woken up by freezing cold water being splashed onto his face. He coughed and sat up quickly. Steve stood over him, bucket in hand.

'Rise and Shine Princess, we've got to get you cleaned up' He grabbed another bucket and poured more water onto Ryan

'It's freezing' Ryan managed to get out

'Trust me' Steve said 'it's nothing compared to the cold showers that we have to take in prison' He continued to drop buckets on Ryan. 'You better get used to it Wolfe, I had to'

Every bucket sent a stinging feeling throughout Ryan's entire body. He could feel his own body shivering, ready to give up. If he had been in full shape, he was sure that he would have been able to stand it for longer, but now with how weak he was, he was ready to crumble.

Steve stopped and knelt down near Ryan 'Can you feel the cold rushing through you? Numbing every part of your body, you're going to feel it for a while. You feel like as if you can never get warm again, and trust me'

He came right up to Ryan's ear 'You never will'

He pulled out a switch blade from his back pocket. 'You know what else they do to you in prison, Ryan? They mark you. I got my mark' He put his hand in front of Ryan's face to show a long scar the length of the palm of his hand. 'And now its time for you to get yours'

He grabbed Ryan's right hand, Ryan struggled and tried to get his hand free, but was met with a fist to the face that knocked him silly. Steve started with the bottom of his hand and worked his way up. Ryan groaned as he felt his flesh being torn under the blade of the knife, Steve was making sure that the cut was deep enough. Ryan could barely look as he saw his own blood dripping down to the floor.

'Feels different when it's happening to you and you're not just investigating it doesn't it? Well tough it! I had to'

'Is that really what this is all about?' Ryan asked 'Making me pay for putting you away? Well isn't that your classic cliché. I thought you were unique'

'That's exactly what this is all about! You made me lose six years of fun. Sure, I'm your classic revenge seeking maniac, putting you through the same things I did, but I'm different in some ways. I'm not going to attack your 'heart' where they say it hurts the most. No, I'm special; I'm going straight to the source, your real heart. I'm going to take your life'He let the cold blade of the knife tocuh Ryan's neck.

He smiled menacingly and for the first time since his capture Ryan could feel his courage fading, he knew he was in trouble.

-xxx-

'Karen…Karen?' She woke up slowly to the sound of someone calling her name

She saw that she was still in the break room, having falling asleep on the couch. Horatio stood beside the couch 'Have you been here all night?'

'Horatio? ...I swear I just… I just shut my eyes for a second' she said as she got up from the couch.

'It's understandable. You worked late, its better to look at the evidence with fresh eyes. You find anything?'

'I was waiting on the results from the soil that I collected from Steve's apartment, turns out that it is just regular soil, nothing special about it or in it. Just plain old brown soil and we can find it virtually anywhere in Miami'

'But it could also mean that he went back to the Everglades'

'True, but we have nothing to confirm that either'

'Let's hope that we will soon. Where are Ryan's parents?'

'They went to stay at a hotel room, they were going to stay at Ryan's, but Mrs. Wolfe figured that it would be too painful.'

'Horatio!' Calleigh came running into the break room 'I was looking at the old case files like you told me too and I saw that Mr. Dawson has a sister that lives here in Miami'

'Well, lets go see what sister has to say'

Jessica Dawson was an executive at an advertising firm. She sat behind a large rectangular desk. The giant window behind her overlooked downtown Miami. She mutinied for Calleigh and Horatio to take the two leather chairs in front of the desk and they did.

'To what do I owe the pleasure of having the Miami Dade Crime lab come pay me a visit?'

'We're here about your brother, Steve' Horatio informed her

'What about him?'

'I suppose you know that he got out of prison and from the news that he has kidnapped one of our CSIs?'

'I heard of it, yes'

'Has he made contact with you?'  
'Not this time, no'

'Were you close to him?' Calleigh asked

'Before he went into prison I was. Every month I would check up on him make sure that he paid his bills. He isn't really the most responsible for such things. Once and a while we would have lunch together. I mean, what are big sisters for?'

'So he's your younger brother?'

'Unfortunately'

'Unfortunately?'

'Things changed after he went to prison. People hear of killers everyday Lieutenant, but they remember the special ones and that is what my brother is. 'A corpse collector', people don't forget that easily'

'So that automatically weighed down on you as well, since he is your brother' Horatio mentioned

'Yes and that is why I cut off contact with him after he went into prison. I admit it; I put my interest ahead of his'

'And you never had any idea what he was doing during the time that you still kept in contact?' Calleigh asked

'As I said, our contacts were minimal, I helped him take care of the bare necessities and that's it'

'Miss Dawson' Horatio put his hands on his hips 'If I find out that you are holding out on me and my CSI dies because of it, I will come and get you myself'

'Trust me Lieutenant, I'm hiding nothing. If you really want answers, I suggest you go see his deranged girlfriend'

'Girlfriend?' Calleigh repeated barely able to believe that such a man would have one.

'Yes, Believe it or not, she's enchanted by what he does'

'We certainly will go talk to her and if ever he does contact with you, you will come to us'

'Of course Lieutenant'

Calleigh and Horatio left her office and headed for the elevator

'I hate to admit it, but I believe her' Calleigh told Horatio

'She does have an answer for everything. We'll see what the girlfriend has to say. Miss Dawson did help us in one way; she pointed us in the right direction'

_So sorry that it took so long to get this chapter up, Hope you like it. Please Review!!!_


	6. Bitter Sweet Memories

**Chapter 6: Bitter Sweet Memories**

The end of shift came at a solemn note as it had for the past few days. After their meeting with Jessica, the team had gone to find Karine with no luck, neither at her apartment nor at her place of work. Tomorrow was Day Six and they were not much closer to finding Ryan. Horatio had sent them home, to be ready for an early start tomorrow.

Karen went to Ryan's apartment, using the key that he had given her. She found it neat as a pin, everything in its place as always. Although most people would find his OCD a little frustrating, in a way she found it cute.

The place had not changed much since the last time she was down. Of course Ryan was never one for drastic change. She stepped into the bathroom and opened up the medicine cabinet. Everything was arranged in alphabetical order from his aftershave to his toothpaste. The living room was the same, DVDs were arranged according to title, and even the remote controls were in order from smallest to largest. There were a few pictures on the walls and in frames on the furniture. One was of his parents, another of the entire team and another of her. The last place she went was Ryan's room. The bed was neatly made and besides that, there was nothing interesting to see. Karen turned to leave when something on the nightstand caught her eye. There was a new picture there. She picked it up and sat down on the bed. It was a picture that was taken of her and Ryan together, from the last time she had come to visit. She remembered was it was taken and couldn't believe that Ryan had chosen to put it there.

Her eyes started to water, she couldn't hold it back anymore. She started to cry. All she wanted was to know that he was safe and get him back.

''_Don't worry Howl, We'll get you back. I'll do whatever it takes. But you have to stay strong too. Hang on until we find you. We will find you. I promise' _She thought as she continued to cry.

Calleigh Duquesne went into her apartment and left her stuff at the entrance. She went over to the fridge and pulled out a bottle of water. She knew that she should relax, but there was no way that would happen. Here they were with only two days left to find Ryan. Even though Horatio had tried to make her feel better, she still had this guilty feeling deep inside of her. She was right there was Ryan was being taken and she did nothing about it. She could have reacted sooner and that could have made all the difference between Ryan still being here instead of going through the hell he was now. She knew that the feeling wouldn't go away no matter what anyone said. What if they didn't find him in time? Calleigh would never be able to live with herself. She brushed the feeling aside. This was no time to feel sorry for herself. The only thing that should be on her mind was getting Ryan back, before it was too late.

Arriving home to his place, Eric Delko wanted nothing more than to just head back to the lab and keep on working. But he knew that Horatio was right, it would be better to look at everything with fresh eyes. Eric and Ryan had never been the best of friends, heck for a while, they pretty near hated each other, but with time that changed. Eric saw Ryan become a decent CSI. Though to him no one ever would, he thought that Ryan came the closest to being the perfect replacement for Speedle. They could easily get on each others nerves, but in the end he liked having Ryan as a colleague and as a friend. Eric had found him when he took a nail to the eye and he could barely stand to be a spectator of the agony Ryan was in then. He couldn't bear to think of what he was going through now. He brushed the idea from his mind and tried to think about brighter things, like what he and Wolfe would do together when they got him back.

Medical Examiner Alexx Woods read a bedtime story to her children. Slowly they drifted off to sleep. Seeing their darling little faces brought a smile to her face, but it didn't last long. Seeing her children reminded her of her other family back at the lab. She considered all of her team-mates as her children including, Ryan. It pained her deeply to think of the trouble he was in. She wanted him back safe and sound. Alexx was the one who prescribed Ryan medication when his eye wasn't getting better and she had kept her promise to keep the problem between the two of them. She had helped Ryan out more than any of the others and for that, felt closer to him. He was also the youngest and the most curious, but that's of the things she loved about him. She prayed that they would get him back in time. She promised that she would be there to help him get over his ordeal, just as she always had been.

Horatio Caine rode the Hummer back to his place. But even the drive couldn't make him forget his worries. He thought that maybe he was a little too harsh with Miss Dawson, but he couldn't help it. It was the same thing when he lost Tim. He almost went overboard, but with the help of others around him, he kept his cool. It was the same with Miss Dawson, if Calleigh hadn't been there… Horatio felt that he was more than a boss to his team; he was a friend, someone they could count on. He knew that Ryan looked up to him as a mentor and he wasn't about to disappoint him. He was going to do all he could to get him back safe and sound.

'_If you don't give up on us Mister Wolfe, we will never give up on you' _

_Sorry for the delay. Hope you like it. Please Review._


	7. Playing The Game

**Chapter 7: Playing The Game**

Bright and early, everyone was already at the lab. 

'Any sign of the girlfriend yet?' Eric asked joining Calleigh in the hallway.

'Not yet' Calleigh answered 'but we've got a uniform posted outside her place and her employer will call if ever she shows up. 

'Well let's hope that she does soon, because I'm afraid we may be coming to a standstill' Karen joined them as well. 'Without her we have nothing else to go on' 

Like it or not, they knew she was right. The little evidence they had collected had gotten them as far as it could. They needed to find Karine. 

-xxx-

Ryan slowly opened his eyes. Right away he knew that something was wrong. His entire body was hot to the touch, but he just couldn't seem to get warm. He turned onto his stomach and tried using his arms to lift himself up. His arms shook because of the pressure, than gave way. Ryan had never felt so weak; he looked down at the cut on his hand. It was red and swollen.

'_Great; infected, just one more thing to add to this week. It's making me sick' _

Using the pipe for support, Ryan managed to get himself up so that he could lean against it. Even then he could feel his body want to slip off and just lay on the ground. He fought it, knowing that he had to stay strong. The door slowly opened and Steve came in, with the breakfast tray as usual. 

'What's the matter Wolfe? You're looking a little pale. Same thing happened to me, got infected and pretty sick. They take care of you in prison though, doesn't look good when an inmate dies in custody. Unfortunately, that's not where you are now. But don't worry; you won't have to deal with it for long' He put the tray down in front of Ryan 'Now I suggest you eat. You have to keep your strength up if you even want to think about getting out of here. What am I saying? You won't. Remember I have special plans for you. But you gotta last for just a little while longer. Now eat!' 

Instead of leaving as he usually did, this time Steve stayed. Ryan realized that he wasn't going to leave until he saw Ryan finish what was on the tray. Stubborn as ever, Ryan wasn't about to give him the satisfaction. He stayed leaning on the pole and looked the other way. That was a mistake. Seconds later he was hit with a punch to the face that felt like a ton of bricks. The force sent him back off the pole onto his back. 

'I told you, eat!' Steve yelled 

Ryan saw that there was no getting around. If he refused again, there's no telling how far Steve would go. Managing to turn himself over, Ryan picked up the piece of cold toast and took a bite. He nearly gagged it up right away, unable to stand the taste in his mouth. Steve stayed and Ryan kept eating, each bite was terrible until he was finally done. 

'Now that's a good boy. Now get up I have something special set up outside.' 

He walked over to the pole and unlocked the chain that is when Ryan made his move. He yanked the chain out of Steve's hands, swung it around and hit him hard in the head with it. Steve staggered back; Ryan brought the chain to hit him again to keep him down. His kidnapper recovered quickly though. He caught the chain as it was swinging towards him. He tugged hard, sending Ryan towards him and kneed him hard in the stomach. Ryan fell to his knees.

'You still haven't learned anything, have you Wolfe?' He hit Ryan across the face 'you're supposed to be a good little boy and behave yourself.' He kicked him on his side. 

Ryan fell onto his back, holding his side, groaning in pain. 

'Now, you're going to learn. Come on' He grabbed the chain and headed towards the door. The collar around Ryan's neck grew tight, but for the first time since his capture, Ryan didn't attempt to fight it. He could barely feel his body. He felt like giving up or at least let himself be taken, hoping that would make it less painful and it would all be over soon. 

-xxx-

'Horatio!' Karen ran through the crime lab 'Horatio!' she found him at the reception 'Horatio' 

'What's the matter Miss Wolfe?' 

'We just got the call, guess who finally came home?' 

'The rest of the team know?' He said heading towards the elevators 

'Yeah, Eric and Calleigh are already on their way' She said following him

'Alright, you're with me, let's go' 

'Eric, do we have a confirmed location of Karine?' Horatio asked through the radio in the hummer.

'She's on the run H, she saw the car outside her place and busted out of there. But they're right on her. Calleigh and I are coming around to cut her off'

'Alright, whatever you do don't lose her' 

They found out the street Karine and went to block her off another way. They cut her off at an intersection heading out of Miami. Eric and Calleigh to her left, the other cops to the back and right and Horatio and Karen in front of her. With no where else to go Karine sprang the car and took off running off the road going to jump over the cement blocks that separated the road from the rest of Miami. 

'Oh no you don't' Karen climbed out of the hummer and took off after her. Karine did have a head start, but very well run fast in those heels. Karen caught up her quickly and tackled her to the ground. 

'You're not going anywhere' Karen held her hands behind her back until the officer came to chuff her. 

'What do you want from me? I didn't do anything' Karine screamed 

'My brother, that's what I want from you' 

'That wimp, hell ain't no use looking for him, he ain't worth it' 

Karen stepped forward her eyes filled with rage. 

Calleigh stepped in front of her. 'Not here, that's not going to help Ryan. Come on we'll talk to her back at the lab' 

Back at the lab, Karine sat silently, twisting her dirty blond hair. Her green almond eyes looked straight at Horatio and Eric, who were questioning her. 

'Now I want some answers from you Miss Mayer' Horatio told her

'When are you going to get it through your thick head? I ain't talking' 

'Your time to make a deal is running very short, so I'd drop this attitude you have and tell us where your boyfriend is' Eric said

'Please that wouldn't be fun, then the game would be up' 

'The Game?'

'Yeah, Steve said it be like Hide and Seek or Cat and Mouse. We hide and you guys do whatever it is you do to find us' 

'So what is Ryan is this game?' 

'That dude Steve took? Call him the prize. If you find him in time you get him, maybe, but if you don't…fraid it's all over. And from what I know today is Day 6, so you guys are the ones running short on time. Don't worry; Steve's taking good care of him' 

'So if we're supposed to find you, why did you come back home?' Eric asked

'My baby Steve said that I had a much bigger role to play. Told me to just act sweet and pretty, like I always do, have a little fun not say a word and to give you this' 

She reached into the bag she had with her and pulled out a video cassette. She put it down on the table. 'Little home movie for you and your team. Enjoy.'

'Karine, if my CSI dies I am going to make sure that you're charged with murder' Horatio told her

'Well if that happens it means that you didn't win, but we did. Too bad' 


	8. I like to Watch

_First of all I am so sorry for the delay. Do not worry I have not given upon this story. I wanted to finish another one first and school has been hectic. But now it's all good and I am back on this story. Hope that it was worth the wait. Enjoy and please review!!_

**Chapter 8: I like to Watch **

Horatio had gathered everyone in the AV lab. He held the video tape in his hands, wondering whether he or anyone else really wanted to see what was on it. Eric, Calleigh and Karen looked at him, their faces stern and strong. They had braced themselves for whatever could possibly be on there. Horatio slipped the video into the player. The static cleared and revealed a dark, gloomy room with no furniture and only a small window. Nothing happened for a few long seconds when Steve Dawson came into view.

'Hi CSI guys. If you're watching this tape than that means that my sweet baby did what she was supposed to do. Here we are Day six in our little game. Only one day left to go, can't you just feel the tension rising?' He laughed 'I'm sure you're all worried about CSI:Wolfe, I can assure you, he's alive…for now. But just in case you need to see it for yourself.'

He went and opened a door on the side wall and went into the room. About two minutes later he came back out dragging something by a chain.

'Oh my god' Karen gasped 'that's Ryan'

Ryan lay limp as he was dragged across to the middle of the floor. He was weak and barely hanging on.

'I said he was alive' Steve said turning his attention back to the camera 'I never said he was well. Pretty pitiful isn't it? Now I know that you've been trying really hard to find him before time runs out, but let's say I give you another reason to find him even faster'

He kicked Ryan hard in the stomach. Ryan groaned in pain as he clenched his stomach and rolled onto his side. Steve didn't let up however; he kicked him once again in the stomach. He pulled the chain higher, bringing Ryan's head closer and punched him hard in the face. He began kicking and punching him relentlessly.

Everyone couldn't believe what they were seeing. Here was their colleague and friend being beaten to an extreme. The sound of his cries of pain was unbearable. Eric's eyes narrowed in anger, he wanted nothing more than to payback this guy for what he was doing to Wolfe. Calleigh, usually so strong, stood silent, but her eyes were filled with worry. Horatio lowered his head and than looked back at the video, he couldn't bear to his young CSI go through such torture. Karen had tears in her eyes, her brother was in severe pain there was nothing she could do about it.

After what seemed like forever, Steve stopped the attack. Ryan lay on his side, coughing up blood.

'He's going to be in far worse condition when I'm done with him. Only one day left, happy hunting' He grabbed Ryan's collar and punched him hard across the face. He let go and let Ryan's unconscious body fall to the floor.

Karen couldn't take it anymore, she ran out of the AV lab, tears flowing from her eyes.

'Karen' Horatio took after her 'Karen!' He caught up with he rand took hold of her hand. 'I'm so sorry you had to see that'

'We're supposed to be objective in every case, no one is treated differently. But it's hard for any of us to be objective in this case huh Horatio? He's your friend, but he is my brother, my brother! He is being beaten nearly to death on that tape, who knows what condition he's in now and there's nothing I can do about it. I promised I'd always be there for him' she started crying more heavily.

Horatio took her in his arms. 'You are here for him Karen. You're helping to bring him back. You are keeping your promise. And I am making a promise to you now. I promise we will get him back; we won't rest until we do. You'll be right there with us keeping your promise. We will get him back.

'Thank you' she said

By now the rest of the team and assembled around them. Karen dried her tears and nodded. She was ready.

'Alright team' Horatio told them 'Let's get to work'

Eric and Calleigh stayed in the AV lab to work on the tape while Calleigh went to process Karine.

'I'm telling you that we really don't have much to go on. There's nothing distinct about that room' Eric told Karen

'What about the window?' she asked 'Can we get something from that?'

'Well we're going to have to go through the tape again, are you sure you can handle it?'

'At least this time I know what to expect. Play it'

Eric ran the tape again, though they couldn't escape the sights and sounds of Ryan's beating they concentrated on everything else to see if anything would help.

'Wait! Freeze it. What was that?' Karen asked Eric

'What?' Eric hadn't noticed

'Back it up a few seconds and listen to that sound beyond Ryan'

Eric backed up the tape and they both listened carefully. The sound was low, but there was a sort of bellow in the background.

'Alright I heard it. Let me work on it. See if we can hear it better.

-xxx-

Meanwhile Calleigh was in the holding cell processing Karine Mayer.

'You really think this is going to help you get your friend back?' Karine asked still as hot headed as before.

'You be surprised what we can do with even just the simplest thing like a nail from your cheap manicure'

'Excuse me?'

'You heard me'

'Sounds like Missy wants to throw a fit. You seem like the type to do that often'

'That's it!' Calleigh put down her things and took off her gloves

'What with you?'

'I am sick of this attitude you have. Your crazy boyfriend has my friend and you're just loving it'

'Caught that did you'

'Well how about we see how tough you really are when someone decides to do something about it'

'What?'

'Stand up'

'Woo woo, isn't that, like police brutality?'

'I'm not a cop right now' Calleigh took her badge and put it on the table. 'This is just me and you, woman to woman.'

-xxx-

Back at the AV lab, Eric worked on the tape.

'Separate the speaks, adjust a few things here and…got it' Eric finished

He replayed the tape and there it was as clear as day, the sound of a horn blowing.

'That ain't from a truck'

'It's a boat horn'

'We're in Miami Eric; there are plenty of boats and ports. That doesn't really narrow it down'

'I'm in the water a lot, so trust me I've heard my share of boat horns. The only ones big enough to have a horn that loud are steamers and cargo ships and those are big. There are only a few ports large enough to let them in'

'Guys! 'Calleigh came in 'I finished processing the girlfriend. Tiny paint flecks under her finger nails and her clothes have the distinct smell of smog like the ones from boat engines'

'Make sense' Eric filled her in 'From what we gathered from the tape, Steve is holding Ryan somewhere near boats'

'Well I got more'

'Really?' Karen asked

'I tried talking to her while I processed. She still wouldn't give anything up'

'So the Duquesne charm didn't work?' Eric joked

'Oh it worked, but in another way'

'Pardon?'

'Let's just say that she's not as tough as she looks. Karine doesn't want her pretty face to be ruined'

Eric and Karen couldn't believe what they were hearing.

'So she finally talked, about everything'

'Eveything?!'  
'Yeah, we know where Ryan is'


	9. Freedom

**Chapter 9 : Freedom**

The team raced down to the Biscayne Port, the biggest port in Miami. Karine had told them that Steve was holding Ryan at the port, but didn't give an exact location.

'Alright, everyone spread out. I want every inch possible of this port covered. He's here somewhere' Horatio shouted orders 'Remember, this is Day 7, this is our last chance'

Eric, Calleigh, Horatio and Karen each took off in a different direction with an officer. Other officers set out to check out other spots. Guns drawn, they carefully served around the port for any sign of Ryan.

Horatio began his search close to the water. After a few minutes of finding nothing, he was about to move on when he found it. An old abandoned carrier that looked like it hadn't been touched in a while and the port had decided to leave it instead of bothering to get rid of it. There on one side was a tiny window that someone had put in and a door in the front, making it look like someone's home. He slipped close to the door and listened. No sound came from inside. He turned the knob slightly and found it unlocked. He readied his gun and quickly opened the door. The first section was clear. He knew he had the right spot when he saw the camera still mounted on the tripod. Blood spatter decorated the floor, blood that he knew belonged to his CSI.

Inside, he opened another door. On the other side, he found Steve's gruesome body collection and the horrible smell. There in the middle was the pipe Ryan had been chained to. The collar lay on the ground, blood sprinkled around. Even with his tough exterior Horatio could barely imagine what Ryan had gone through and didn't want to stay in there any longer than he had to. He pulled out his radio as he left.

'Attention all units, I've found the carrier where Mr. Wolfe was being held, all clear. He's out here somewhere and he's got Ryan with him. Be careful'

They all reported in and continued their search. Meanwhile Steve carefully moved himself and Ryan around the port. He had Ryan tied, gun sticking into Ryan's ribs to keep him quiet and from doing anything stupid.

'You know your friends aren't the quietest people around Wolfe? I could hear the sirens coming and had plenty of time to get you and get out. Looks like my Baby wasn't tough enough, oh well, doesn't matter. We're still going to finish this'

Checking everywhere before making a move, he led Ryan toward the edge of the port. They couldn't move as quickly as he wanted because Ryan's weakened state kept him struggling.

Steve had managed to do well so far, but when he turned the next corner he didn't notice that someone had seen them. Quickly, but quietly Karen headed towards them. She soon caught up to them since Steve had to stop for Ryan again.

'Attention all units' She quietly said into her radio 'I've spotted them at the west end of the port. Suspect has CSI Wolfe and is armed and dangerous'

'We hear you Karen, wait for backup before moving in'

'But?'

'You heard me. Wait for backup'

Karen peered around the corner and saw Steve getting Ryan back onto his feet. She knew Horatio's orders, but seeing her brother like this, she couldn't just stand there and do nothing. What if the others took too long? Steve could get away and she wasn't about to lose Ryan again. She readied her gun and moved in.

'Let him go, Steve' Karen yelled taking aim coming up behind them

Steve slowly turned around 'Take a shot if you dare' He placed Ryan in front of him and stuck the gun on Ryan's throat. 'Now drop your gun'

'Karen?' Ryan said when he saw her

'Karen, Karen Wolfe?' Steve asked 'Ah, the younger sister. Pleased to meet you'

'Drop the gun' Karen ordered

'I believe I asked you first' Steve said

'Karen don't! Don't do it' Ryan told her

'How do you want to do this Steve? I swear you shoot him and I will shoot you and I'm a trained professional I won't miss. You will be dead way before he is. I will not even give you 3 seconds to bask in your glory. How do you like that? It's not worth it. So let's just drop the gun'

'You know what? You're right. If I shoot him, then that's it, nothing after that…But, if I shoot you' He took aim at Karen 'that's another story' He pulled the trigger

The shot exploded into the side of her stomach, sending her to the ground, groaning in pain, blood flowing from the wound.

'Karen!' Ryan screamed then turned his attention back on his captor 'you son of a bitch!' Ryan elbowed Steve in the gut with all the strength he could muster. The blow caused Steve to lose his hold on Ryan who proceeded to hit him across the face. In his weakened condition, Ryan's hits didn't do much and Steve quickly recovered and hit him across the face with the gun. It sent Ryan spinning into the side of one of the port cargo holders.

'I've been waiting a long time for this Wolfe' Steve pointed the gun at Ryan 'One more for my collection'

Three shots rang out. When they stopped Ryan patted himself down and realized he hadn't been hit. He looked up and saw that Steve's face was in a state of shock, three bullets to the chest. He tried grasping for air as blood trickled from his mouth. After a few long seconds he collapsed, motionless.

Ryan wondered where the shots could have come. He looked back towards his sister and found her supporting herself on her right arm, the other hand held her gun still pointed to where Steve had been standing.

'Karen?' Ryan couldn't believe his eyes

She took a few shallow breaths and fell onto her back.

'Karen!' Ryan struggled to get to his sister's side. By the time he reached her Horatio and the others had arrived.

'We need rescue now!' Eric yelled

Horatio kneeled at Karen's head, telling her to stay concentrated on him, trying to keep her conscience. Calleigh was with Ryan, cutting him loose. As soon as he was free he went back to Karen.

She could hear their voices, deep and echoing. Her vision blurred as she fought to stay conscience. She saw Ryan by her side. He was safe, that's all that mattered. Then everything went black.

_Once again I am so sorry that it took so long to get this up. I really hope that the next won't be too far off. But here it is Enjoy and please review!!_


	10. Time To Heal

**Chapter 10 : Time to Heal**

Horatio and the team sat in the hospital waiting room. Waiting for the results was nearly as stressful as when Ryan was still captured. Rescue had worked fast on both of them. Karen was losing enough blood from her wound and Ryan was in terrible condition. Horatio rode with Karen. They managed to keep her pulse, but she didn't wake up. Ryan frequently groaned as he let the pain he had been fighting set in, but was comforted by Calleigh's presence as she clutched his hand tightly. Eric followed in the hummer, but stopped at the lab to pick up Alexx and Ryan's parents. Calleigh and Horatio were together in at the hospital with nothing to do, but wait.

One thing Horatio knew he had to do make a call. He managed to get Karen's cell phone while in the ambulance and now he scrolled through the contacts and found 'Mom'. This was going to be difficult. He hit dial and waited. After three rings someone picked up.

'Hi Honey'

'Ma'am, my name is Horatio Caine, MDPD. I am a college of Karen's brother, Ryan.'

'Oh yes, how is the search going?'

'I am glad to say that we found him safe and sound.'

'That's nice to hear Mr.Caine, now may I please speak to my daughter? I'm sure she has plenty to tell me'

'Well that's exactly the reason why I'm calling. There's no easy way to say this, but I'm afraid Karen was injured while saving Ryan'

'What happened?' He could hear her voice choking up.

'She was shot'

'Oh my god' He knew that she was crying now.

'Let me assure she's fine. She is in surgery right now. But I will call you as soon as I have any more details.'

'See if you can reach me' she managed to say 'I'll be on the first flight out to Miami.'

'That's good. I'm sure Karen would love to have you here'

'Yeah, thank you for your call Lieutenant'

'I promise you, I will call you as soon as I know more'

'Thank you' She hung up.

A few minutes later Eric came in with Mr. and Mrs. Wolfe and Alexx.

'What did the doctor say?' Mr. Wolfe asked

'Is Ryan alright?' Mrs. Wolfe asked, not even bothering about Karen

'We haven't heard any news from the doctors yet, but they should be alright'

They all took a seat and waited. They heard no news for nearly another hour when a doctor finally came.

'Are you all here for Karen and Ryan Wolfe?' He asked

'Yes'

'Well Mister Wolfe's condition is quite common with the type of ordeal he went through malnutrition, dehydration, a slight case of hypothermia. He has three broken ribs and 2 cracked ones. He has bruises all over his body. The cut on his hand took seven stitches. Unfortunately it was pretty badly infected, giving him a bad fever on top of everything else. But we are giving him antibiotics and painkillers. Plenty of rest and it should clear right up.

'Can I see him?' Ryan's mother asked

'Sure, but I will tell you that he is asleep, completely exhausted. I don't think he slept the entire week. I wouldn't be surprised if he out for a couple of days'

'But we can see him'

'Certainly, second floor turn left after you get off the elevators. It's the third door on your right.'

Mrs. Wolfe left to see Ryan

'And what about Karen?' Mr. Wolfe waited to hear

'True she didn't go through what her brother did, but that bullet did a lot of damage' The doctor continued 'She lost a lot of blood at the scene and in the ambulance. She went straight up to the OR. They got the bullet out, but with her blood loss…It isn't a coma, more like an intense time out. We are not sure when she'll wake up.

'Can we see her?'

'She's in recovery now, but as soon as she is moved you can see her'

'Thank you doctor' Horatio said and the doctor left.

'I'm going to see Ryan' Philip said

Horatio nodded and Philip went. Although he knew that the whole team wanted to see him, it was more appropriate for the family to go first.

A few minutes passed when both Horatio and Alexx's cell phones went off. Miami wasn't kind enough to let one see a friend. They all had to leave to report to crime scenes. It would help get their minds off this moment. They silently said their goodbyes and promised they would be back as soon as they could.

-xxx-

Calleigh was the first to get back. She slowly approached the room and found that Ryan's parents weren't there. She went in and took the sat in the chair beside Ryan's bed. His face was black and blue. His upper lip and left eyelid were swollen. His arms were full of bruises as well. His breaths were short and shallow, probably from the pain caused by his ribs. Calleigh sat without saying a word, simply holding his hand, letting him know that she was there. She didn't know how long she had been there when Eric and Alexx came in. Alexx sat on the other side of the bed and held Ryan's other hand while Eric stood next to Calleigh. Horatio was the last to arrive and when he saw everyone else in the room he decided not to intrude. Instead he went to the front desk and asked about Karen. Her condition was still the same. She would be in recovery overnight. He went up to the floor of the OR and headed to the desk there. He asked to see Karen. At first she was hesitant, but when she saw the badge clipped on his belt, his jacket purposely left open enough to reveal it she agreed. She led him down the hallway and ushered him in. She stayed on the outside and waited. He understood that he wasn't to stay too long.

He walked over to Karen's bed in the corner and stayed standing as he looked at her. UV tube in her hand and an oxygen mask over her mouth and nose, common with blood loss. The heart monitor beeped rhythmically as it tracked her heart rate.

'Karen' Horatio started 'I don't know if you can hear me. I called your mother and she will be here as soon as she can. I also wanted you to know that you defiantly kept your promise. Ryan is still with us because of you and I thank you for that. But it's not over yet. Your brother is still going to need you to pull through and get back on his feet after all of this. So don't give up. Fight this, he needs you. Hang in there'

He took her hand, gave it a little squeeze and left. He didn't stay long enough to see Karen's eyes twitch.

_Thanks so much to everyone for all of your support and Reviews!! Hope you enjoy. _


	11. Awakening

**Chapter 11: Awakening**

The heart monitor beeped faster and faster. Ryan's eyes twitched rapidly, his hands grasping his bed sheets as the images raced through his mind.

He was back at his incarceration. The collar around his neck, chained to the pipe in the middle of the room. It seemed to be getting tighter and tighter. The bodies had multiplied around him, eyes wide open bearing down on him. Now, there were smiles on their faces as they moved in closer, whispering his name. A prisoner again, Ryan could do nothing, but cower closer to the pipe he was tied to. He went into a fetal position, closed his eyes and covered his ears, trying to hide and drown out the gruesome faces. After a few long seconds, he dared open his eyes. His eyes met Steve's dead ones.

'Welcome Home Ryan' Steve laughed

Ryan screamed and everything around him went white. As his eyes adjusted to the brightness he realized where he was. A doctor and nurse came running in, alerted to his heart rate. Eric followed. Ryan's eyes danced everywhere, his breathing still rapid.

'Calm down Mister Wolfe. You're safe and sound in the hospital' the doctor assured him

He nodded that he understood and gained control over his breathing. Eventually the scanner slowed to a steady beep. The doctor and nurse looked over the scanners to make sure that everything was fine. Ryan looked down at the foot of the bed and found Eric standing there.

'Hey' Eric said

'Hey'

'You look like hell'

'I feel like it' Ryan answered

Meanwhile the doctors finished 'Everything looks good. Just stay in bed and rest and you should be back on your feet before you know it' He said as he was leaving the room.

'Thank you doctor'

'Nice to have you back though' Eric told Ryan

'How long was I out?'

'Over a day. Exhaustion and morphine will do that to you. We actually thought that you'd be out for longer if it wasn't for that bad dream'

'More like a nightmare'

Well your parents are here. I'm gonna go get them. It will be nice to have your family with you and they'll be happy to see that you're finally awake.'

'Yeah…Karen!! What about Karen? Is she alright?'

'She's alive. But she lost a lot of blood and has gone into a sort of comatose state. Doctors aren't sure when she'll wake up'

Ryan sighed 'It's my fault. She was protecting me. If I hadn't been so weak I could have fought him off and then she wouldn't have had to step in. She took that bullet for me'

'Wolfe' Eric said 'Listen to me. He shot her in cold blood; this is on him, not you. You're her brother, she did what she did because she loves you. I'm sure that there was not a single doubt in her mind as to what she was doing. If she could have, she probably would have taken your place through this whole thing. Any of us would have'

'Even you?'

'Well…looking at you now…'

'You're hilarious'

Eric huffed a laughed 'Definitely me too'

'Thanks'

'I'll go get your parents. Stay strong Wolfe'

'Bye Eric'

Meanwhile one floor up Karen slept comfortably in her bed. Her mother, Sarah by her side. A knock came at the door.

'Lieutenant' Sarah said when she saw Horatio

'Ms. Samson. I'm with my college Calleigh Duquesne, may we come in?'

'Of course'

Calleigh went to the other side of the bed, while Horatio stood at the foot.

'How she doing?' Calleigh asked

'Doctors said that all her vitals are good. All we can do is wait and hope she comes out of it soon'

'She's strong. She'll pull through' Calleigh said

They stayed silent for a few minutes when Calleigh's cell rang.

'Duquesne. That's great. She's fine; Horatio and I are up with her now. Alright, we'll play switch. Bye' She ended the call 'Eric Delko wants to come and visit Karen, so we'll head back so that it won't be too crowded in here. But we will be back'

'Thank you' Sarah said

'Hung in there Ma'am, she'll going to be fine'

In the hallway Calleigh explained 'Eric said that Ryan is awake. It thought it best not to mention it in front of Ms. Samson'

'Good thinking. It wouldn't be nice to be excited about it in front of her while Karen is still unconscious'

'Eric is coming up, so we can go down and see Ryan'

'Let's'

-xxx-

The next day Ryan dreamed again. The same terrifying images passing through his head. This time however, he felt a comforting presence. Someone was there holding his hand.

'Ryan, Ryan sweetie, wake up'

His eyes fluttered open. His gaze fell upon Alexx's soft brown eyes.

'Another bad dream?' She asked

'Nightmare. Same as before. I'm back in my prison, surrounded by bodies and Steve right there in front of me smiling'

'But that's all over honey'

'I'm still afraid Alexx. Even though I know I'm safe, every time I close my eyes, I'm afraid that my being here in the dream and when I open my eyes I'll be back stuck in that nightmare'

'I know honey and you'll probably feel that way for a while. What you have to remember is that you're not alone in this. You have the whole team; your parents and when she wakes up Karen will help you through this too'

'I was wondering' Ryan started 'Do you think it would be possible for me to see Karen'

'Honey, I think you need your rest' Alexx told him

'For three days now people have been telling me that, but every one of those days, all I've wanted to do is see her. Please Alexx, I want to, need to see my sister'

She hesitated but eventually 'Hold on let me get a chair'

She found a wheelchair and wheeled Karen up to Karen's room. Sarah was still up there.

'Ryan, nice to see you up and about'

'Ms. Samson. I'm sorry about this'

'Don't you dare be'

'What?'

'She wouldn't want you to be. You went through so much and made it through. My daughter stepped in to help. You both definitely got that bravery from your father'

'Actually I think she got it from you, cause I was terrified during my whole experience'

Sarah huffed 'Just remember you have nothing to be sorry about. Karen stepped in because she loves you and if it were the other way around I'm sure you would have done the same'

Ryan nodded

'Well I feel like a cup of coffee. Stay as long as you want Ryan'

'Thank you'

I unfortunately have to get back to the lab' Alexx mentioned as she wheeled Ryan up to the side of Karen's bed 'See you later sweetie' She pecked him on the forehead

'Bye Alexx, thank you'

Alone now in the room, Ryan sat by his sister's side, trying to get his words straight.

'Pup, I don't know if you can hear me, but I'm going to do this anyway. Actually I don't know what to say. I know your mother said that I shouldn't be sorry about this, but how can I not be? Here you are in this state and it's because of what you did for ME. Basically I know what I should say, but I don't know how to say it. I know you so much, I owe you my life. For goodness sakes you took a bullet for me. How do you say thank you for that?'

A raspy voice answered him 'Short and simple would do'

Ryan couldn't believe what he heard when his eyes met Karen's wide open ones.

'Pup?'

'Hey Howl'

_Sorry it took so long to get this up. I know I say it every time, but I hope the next chapter won't be as long. Thanks so much for your patience. Hope you enjoy and review!!_


	12. Always There For You

'How do you say thank you for that?'

A raspy voice answered him 'Short and simple would do'

Ryan couldn't believe what he heard when his eyes met Karen's wide open ones.

'Pup?'

'Hey Howl'

-xxx-

Chapter 12: Always there for you

'You're finally awake' He held his sister's hand

'My eyes are open; I'm still working on the awake part. How long have I been out?'

'About three days, how do you feel?'

'Still a little sore around the wound. Other than that I'm fine. What about you? Cause you look terrible' Karen joked

'You should have seen me three days ago' Ryan answered 'But, I'm fine, thanks to you.'

Karen smiled 'I made you a promise that I'd always be there for you whenever you needed me.'

Ryan smiled back 'And you defiantly didn't break it'

Karen asked 'Where's my mom?'

'Gone for coffee' Ryan answered 'She'll be so glad to see you're awake'

'I'm glad she's here…wait! Are Dad and your mother here too?'

'Yeah…'

'Oh boy, how's that going?'

'So far so good. Your mom has stayed up here and my mom has stayed with me. Dad has been back and forth. So our mothers haven't seen each other'

'Like you said, so far. You and I both know that if our mothers see each other it won't be pretty'

'That's true, but I think in these circumstances they might behave themselves. Let's forget about that and talk about something else. How 'bout telling me that surprise you mentioned in your letter?'

'You're holding it' Karen said

Ryan let go of her hand and looked. There on the ring finger of her left hand was a beautiful white gold diamond ring.

'You're engaged?'

Karen smiled 'Yeah'

'Congratulations Pup'

'Thanks Howl'

'…You know this means I'm defiantly allowed to ask questions about this guy now'*

-xxx-

Everyone was happy and relieved that Karen was awake and out of danger. They all went to visit her. The last up was Horatio. On his way he stopped at Ryan's room, he was sleeping, sitting beside the bed was Judith Wolfe, Ryan's mother.

'How's he doing?'

'Quite well, Doctors say that he'll probably be able to come out either tomorrow or the day after. But he will have to take it easy'

'And knowing him, he won't want to'

'He's stubborn, just like his father'

'Guess that's where Karen gets it too. I was just on my way to see her, have you been yet?' Horatio asked

'No I haven't' Judith replied

'Well Mister Wolfe is sleeping now so we could go up together'

'No thank you, I rather stay with Ryan'

'Of course, so you'll head up later?'

'I have no intention of going'

'I beg your pardon?'

'You know her as a friend, she's Philip's daughter and Ryan's half sister, so you may want to go, but I have no obligation to visit. I will stay with my son, my child'

'I see…Here, I have something you should see. Doctors misplaced it and there was no rush because the case is solved, but…'

He took a clear evidence bag out of his pocket with a single bullet in it and placed it on the end table beside Ryan's bed.

'What is that?' Judith asked

'That Ma'am, is the bullet they took out of Karen. The bullet she took saving Ryan. She risked her life to save him. It's because of her that you still have a son.'

He put the bag back into his pocket and felt, leaving Mrs. Wolfe to think about what he just said.

She looked at Ryan and stroked the side of his face. He was safe. The others had found him in time, but she knew that they didn't do it alone.

'You have an amazing group of friends Ryan. They didn't, wouldn't stop until they knew you were safe. But they weren't alone. There was someone else helping them, someone else who wouldn't stop until she found you. I owe her so much; I'm just sorry that it took me so long to realize it.' She took his hand and just looked at her son, knowing what she had to do

-xxx-

Philip Wolfe was upstairs visiting Karen. 'I'm so proud of you. Do you realize how brave you were?'

'Dad, you've already told me'

'I just want to make sure that you know'

'Some may call it crazy'

'A bit of that too…bit it was brave and unselfish. Everyone thinks so, Lieutenant Caine and his team, the doctors and nurses who heard about it'

'All except one I guess' Karen said

Philip knew who she was talking about 'Karen…'

'Dad, I understand that she might have a little resentment towards me. And I understand that she doesn't look at me as a daughter, that's fine I'm not asking her to be my mother. But I just wish we could get over this tension between us so that we could be friends or even just acquaintances. Ryan is my brother and whether she likes to or not you are my father'

'She'll come around eventually'

'What if I told you she already has?' A voice came from the door

Karen and Philip looked up and found Judith standing in the door frame.

'Mrs Wolfe?'

'Judith'

'May I come in?'

'Of course'

'Phil, honey do you mind giving us a minute?'

'Sure, I'll go down and see Ryan'

He left them there alone in the room together. Something they had never been before.

'So how's Ryan doing?' Karen asked

'He's fine. You know how he is' Mrs. Wolfe said 'He'll be back on his feet in no time. Karen, that's actually why I came up here, I know what you do for Ryan, how you risked yourself to save him'

'It's not that big of a deal'

'Yes it is. You saved his life and I can't thank you enough for that'

'He's my brother Mrs. Wolfe, I would do anything to protect him'

'I know that now. Ever since his operation, you've proven yourself to be a true sister. I'm sorry I've never said it before, how much I appreciate you being there for him'

'Anytime'

'I…um…would also like to take this opportunity to apologize for how I've treated you all these years, giving you the cold shoulder'

'There's no need to apologize Mrs. Wolfe. I've never made any real effort to patch up the uneasiness between us. I should apologize too'

'Well, what's say that we start over right here from this moment on? Because I would certainly like to. Friends?' She held out her hand.

'Friends' Karen gladly shook it

-xxx-

The next day Ryan was let out of the hospital. Though he was told to rest, he wanted to get back to work as soon as possible. Horatio had managed to get him to take two days off. Though he wanted to seem tough, Ryan was glad that he was home, to simply relax and do nothing. Karen was released not long after he was. While she still in there, she received a surprise visit from Daniel, her fiancée and that helped her recovery. She stayed at Ryan's for a few days then decided it was time to head back to Los Angeles. Ryan's parents had already gone back and now it was time to say goodbye to Karen.

'Well this is it' Ryan told Karen at the airport

'Only for a few months and then you'll have to come down to LA for the wedding'

'I wouldn't even think of missing it… Karen, again I can't thank you enough for what you did. You saved my life'

'Anytime Howl, like I've told you, I'll always be there for you when you need me'

'And I'll be there for you Pup'

They hugged each other 'Bye Howl, Love you'

'Love you too Pup.' He told her back 'Dan' Ryan shook his hand 'Take care of her'

'With all my heart'

'You better get going if you don't want to miss your flight'

'Wouldn't you hate it if I had to stay another day' She picked up her carry on, took hold of Daniel's hand and starting walking away.

'Bye Howl' she looked back one last time

'Bye Pup'

Ryan stayed until he saw the plane take off. He knew that it wouldn't be easy getting over what he had been through. But he had the best friends and family who would help him out, every step of the way.

-xxx-

_*_**Reference to my story 'Last Hope: Chapter 8' **

_Well it's all over. Sorry it took so long for me to update. I knew this was going to be my last chapter and I wanted to end it just right, hope I got it. Enjoy and please review. Thanks for all the support and reviews I've gotten this whole way through. THANK YOU! _


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